One of the things that Bailey Banter is all about is getting the fans to understand and connect more with the players. This is one reason we love interviewing the guys, and just like the others, Danni Konig was a class act and a great guy. Here are some of the questions we asked our brilliant striker.

So, looking at the start of your career, how did you get into soccer? Did you have a family member that played or did you just decide to try it, fell in love with it, and decided to keep playing?

I didn’t have any family members that played, but in Denmark it's different, all young kids play soccer. So yeah, I just fell in love with the game when I was four years old. I’ve been playing since I was four years old.

When you were first getting into the game, were there any particular professional players or teams that you looked up to and tried to learn from?

Definitely. I’ve always been a fan of Real Madrid and of Raul. It was always my dream to play at that higher level, and play for Real Madrid. That hasn’t happened, and I’m here in Cincinnati, but I’m still very happy to be where I am.

Speaking of being in Cincinnati; obviously being from Denmark, I imagine that there’s quite a bit of a culture shock moving to the U.S. How did you adapt to that and what do you enjoy the most about living and playing here?

Well, I’ve played professionally since I was 18 in Denmark, and I had about 6 months in Iceland. In Denmark, we have a lot of soccer teams, but I knew all the stadiums, all the coaches, and all the players. I was just looking for a new experience. I wanted to take my soccer experience and go to a totally new culture. I really wanted this, and I had three years in Oklahoma before coming to Cincinnati, so it has definitely been worth it. I’m glad I took the opportunity to come to America.

Is there anything that you really enjoy about Cincinnati specifically?

I know that a lot of people say Cincinnati doesn’t have the greatest weather but compared to Denmark, I love it. I love being here, I love the weather, and for me, the greatest thing about it is the amazing fans we have here.

When you think about a team like FC Cincinnati, one that is still new and still trying to establish itself, how is that different from your other playing experiences? Do you like this kind of team better?

So, compared to a team in Denmark, it’s totally different. When you go to a team in Denmark, you have players that have been there for 7 years or 8 years, so there’s more of a culture. It’s hard to say, but it’s completely different when you come to a new club. Not everything is optimized yet, and there’s still a bit to learn. In our case, it has grown so fast and in just two years, there are still things we can do better but that’s just part of it.

I’m just happy to be a part of history. This is the second year of FC Cincinnati, and it’s just fun to be part of this because it is already so big. We have more fans than many MLS teams. We also have a big team in Denmark, FC Copenhagen, and we’ve had more fans at our games than they have during some of their important championship games at home. I always grew up thinking of FC Copenhagen as a big team. So, to see us pull more fans for a USL league match than they do for a championship game really puts things into perspective. It’s just amazing to see what’s happening here in Cincinnati, and I’m very glad to be a part of it.

So, you mentioned the MLS. What are your personal thoughts on FC Cincinnati becoming an MLS team? Do you think we’re ready for that?

To be honest with you, I don’t have much knowledge about a lot of things going on in the MLS as far as the rules and how they look at teams. But, I don’t see how any other team could go to the MLS before we do. You see the games we play here, and we’ve played MLS teams and won. So yeah, I just don’t see a better team or city to get into the MLS. I’ll be shocked if we don’t make it to the MLS. I’ll be blown away if FC Cincinnati isn’t in the MLS by at least 2020. But, of course, you never really know what will happen.

Moving on to this particular season, what are your personal goals moving forward, and what are some goals for the team as you finish this season?

Our next goal is to hopefully go for the USL championship. That’s what you always want to go for, to be champions. Of course, we have to first get a playoff spot, but once we do that I think we can beat anybody. If we don’t win, I won’t be devastated by it, but it’s something we always want to go for. At the end of the season, hopefully, we can all look at each other and be proud of what we’ve done.Personally, I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. Scoring goals and helping the team, that’s my goal.

Just to kind of give the fans a look into your life outside of soccer, what are some of your other interests?

I’m actually a pretty huge soccer geek, so I watch a lot of soccer on TV and read about it. I’m a big family man also, so if they were here with me, I’d be spending a lot of time with them, going to the swimming pool and just relaxing. Nothing really spectacular, just a pretty normal life like you and everybody else. Just watching a lot of soccer, trying good food, and going to the pool. Stuff like that.

So, I have just one more question for you. Obviously, the fan support has been incredible, so is there anything that you would like to say to them?

Definitely. The support has been amazing. You guys help me and the team so much, and it has been such a great privilege and honor for all of us. To have 20,000 and 30,000 people who have your back, it’s just amazing. To all the fans, thank you. It’s amazing, and hopefully, we’ll win a USL championship for you guys.We thanked Danni for his time and hoped you enjoyed learning more about one of the FCC's top goal scorers.